This random thought crossed my mind recently. It's funny how 2000 was supposed to be this gateway to the future (and in many ways it was), but then I look at it in terms of the mythical "car of the future".
Now we're in a place where most of those "cars of the future" from 2000 are off the road at this point. My 2000 Civic is just about ready to give up the ghost as it closes in on 200k miles.
I dunno--just thought it was an interesting thought.
In reply to EastCoastMojo:
I suddenly need to hear Pink Floyd "Time" 
Here's "Time" with a "in the year 2000" spin:
http://youtu.be/eca6i_yy_HE
My mom was telling me that in the 50s, they said there would be plaid lipstick by the year 2000. It has been my goal to make this happen.
Many of those "crazy" predictions about the future were very accurate with just one detail wrong that derailed it all...but we have other threads for that topic.
N Sperlo wrote: My mom was telling me that in the 50s, they said there would be plaid lipstick by the year 2000. It has been my goal to make this happen.
easy....Hydrographics
GameboyRMH wrote: Many of those "crazy" predictions about the future were very accurate with just one detail wrong that derailed it all...but we have other threads for that topic.
The internet?
Honestly, the one thing that most sci-fi didn't seem to really grasp was how electronic data/communications would fundamentally change society. Even people 4 years younger than me grew up completely differently. Considering I was born when the "modern" internet was (1988), I grew up alongside it, but the difference between using a 56k modem and cable/dsl hi-speed internet is the difference between when I was born and those people that are 4 years younger than me. Completely changes the way a person grew up IMO.
No not the Internet. Plenty of sci-fi authors saw something similar coming...funny enough many thought it would be based on video or phone calls, few got it right to the point of understanding that it would be a general-purpose network accessed with computers.
Grtechguy wrote:N Sperlo wrote: My mom was telling me that in the 50s, they said there would be plaid lipstick by the year 2000. It has been my goal to make this happen.easy....Hydrographics
Hmmm... 
N Sperlo wrote: My mom was telling me that in the 50s, they said there would be plaid lipstick by the year 2000. It has been my goal to make this happen.
I was in the local party supply/costume shop Saturday and saw exactly this product. I remember commenting that this was terrifying in a different way than the novelty contacts that were big in 2000.
Sci-fi has historically WAY over estimated the speed of technological advance. The closest one was probably 2001 a Space Odyssey, and even that missed by a bit (more so because of the reduction of the space program, that at that time was not unreasonable to think would keep going at a similar pace as it was).
Blade Runner was not bad from the standpoint of "not everything is shiny new technology" but it clearly missed by a good margin also.
Mike wrote:N Sperlo wrote: My mom was telling me that in the 50s, they said there would be plaid lipstick by the year 2000. It has been my goal to make this happen.I was in the local party supply/costume shop Saturday and saw exactly this product. I remember commenting that this was terrifying in a different way than the novelty contacts that were big in 2000.
I'm sure I could play it off. 
This was addressed pretty well by Harvey Birdman:
Peanut: So where are you guys from? Florida?
George Jetson: No. We're from the future.
Elroy Jetson: The 21st century!
George Jetson: The magnificent far-off year of 2002!
Harvey Birdman: [looks at desk calendar -2004] Really.
George Jetson: Yes, talking ape man! We are from a society much advanced over your own! A society driven by sprockets! A technological marvel that gives us items such as... this! [holds up enormous cell phone about as large as he is]
Peanut: [answers a small pocket-size cell phone] Who's feelin' Peanutty?
The point of my post was that those "cars of the future" from 2000 are now mostly junk.
I'm constantly saying that the future happened, though. Smartphones are pure science fiction that came to life. The current S-Class Benz is basically a spaceship. A spaceship that will be junk in another 10-15 years. 
Oddly enough, some of the most accurate sci-fi predictions come from the Judge Dredd comics. And that was intended as satire, with sci-fi as an afterthought.
GameboyRMH wrote: No not the Internet. Plenty of sci-fi authors saw something similar coming...funny enough many thought it would be based on video or phone calls, few got it right to the point of understanding that it would be a general-purpose network accessed with computers.
Just checked when Ender's Game was written - the book version, which had the Internet (I don't think it was in the short story) came out in 1985. That may be the only well known science fiction from that era to expect the Internet to be full of flame wars, sock puppets, and trolls.
MadScientistMatt wrote:GameboyRMH wrote: No not the Internet. Plenty of sci-fi authors saw something similar coming...funny enough many thought it would be based on video or phone calls, few got it right to the point of understanding that it would be a general-purpose network accessed with computers.Just checked when Ender's Game was written - the book version, which had the Internet (I don't think it was in the short story) came out in 1985. That may be the only well known science fiction from that era to expect the Internet to be full of flame wars, sock puppets, and trolls.
Dial-up bulletin board systems had been around for a while at that time though, so OSC was playing in Easy Mode
I can tell you that things like Facetime, smart phone's etc seemed like such an impossible dream and completely unrealistic when I was a kid (born in late 1975).I got my first taste of the internet in College (1994)and when I left was using 28.8 modems to surf the webs. amazing how things have changed so quickly.
I remember going to Disney about 10 years ago and walking around Tomorrowland thinking that this was how they thought the 80's would look back in the 50's.
In the mid to late 80s, I can remember being thrilled to get a 14.4 modem because it would make the Carolina Chat Board work so much faster. The green CRT screen was OK, but VGA, that was the be all and end all of monitors. I did a lot of horse trading to come up with one of those for under $300. I couldn't give my last one away.
My cell phone is smarter than the first 5 computers I had and it's obsolete already.
Cars are almost as bad. Too bad all the new bells and whistles don't seem to make them better, just more complicated.
Toyman01 wrote: Too bad all the new bells and whistles don't seem to make them better, just more complicated.
I know, right? My rather elderly parents test drove a Buick not long ago. They were looking for a nice riding, comfortable, well-appointed car to drive long distances. They were turned off by all the electronic whiz-bangs and decided they didn't want a Buick. I mean, if old people aren't going to buy a Buick, what-n-hell is their demographic?
Basil Exposition wrote:Toyman01 wrote: Too bad all the new bells and whistles don't seem to make them better, just more complicated.I know, right? My rather elderly parents test drove a Buick not long ago. They were looking for a nice riding, comfortable, well-appointed car to drive long distances. They were turned off by all the electronic whiz-bangs and decided they didn't want a Buick. I mean, if old people aren't going to buy a Buick, what-n-hell is their demographic?
Hipsters? I hear Buicks are popular in China for some reason. Old people are left with used Towncars, I guess. Or, perhaps, the bus?
Agreed on the bells and whistles. Not a fan. My somewhat elderly parents love them, however. They also seem to be big fans of all of Ford's new turbocharged engines. Not so much for the mileage, but for the power. They are kinda usual compared to most old people...
The future just ain't what it used to be.
Basil Exposition wrote: I mean, if old people aren't going to buy a Buick, what-n-hell is their demographic?
Shaq?
You'll need to log in to post.
